How to Choose an Electronic Signature Software

A Structuring Decision

Choosing an electronic signature software means choosing a tool that your teams will use several times a day, for several years. Mistakes come at the cost of migration and daily friction.

The 10 Selection Criteria

1. eIDAS Compliance

Non-negotiable. Without eIDAS compliance, your signatures won't have the same legal value. See eIDAS regulation.

2. Signature Levels

Minimum: SES + AES. QES if your sector requires it.

3. Hosting and Sovereignty

EU to preserve sovereignty, avoid the US Cloud Act.

4. Transparent Pricing

Monthly flat fee with quota, no per-OTP/signatory billing.

5. Native Integrations

CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive), HRIS (PayFit, Lucca), ERP (Sage), Zapier, API.

6. Templates

To industrialize recurring documents.

7. Advanced Workflow

Parallel/sequential order, reminders, CC, approvers.

8. Signatory UX

Mobile-first, no account required, journey < 3 minutes.

9. Archiving

Minimum 10 years, PAdES format, exportable.

10. Support

French language available, responsive, clear documentation.

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Artificially low entry price: often offset by per-OTP billing

• Phantom features: those listed but rarely reliable in production

• Non-existent support: endless chatbot without real human contact

• US Cloud without clear mention of the Cloud Act

• Long-term contracts without exit clauses

Selection Method

• List your needs: volume, level, integrations

• Pre-select 3-5 solutions

• Test for free in real conditions (10-20 shipments)

• Question support with complex cases

• Simulate 12 months of actual cost

Summary Table

Profile | Typical Solution

Freelancer / Micro-business | Free plan, budget < $20/month

SME 20-250 employees | European pro plan, $50-200/month

Mid-market 250-5000 employees | Business plan, SSO, custom API

Regulated sector | EU hosting + advanced KYC

Real-world Case: 60-person SME

An SME in construction evaluated 4 solutions over 6 weeks:

• demo + hands-on for each

• test with 15 representative shipments

• simulate 12-month cost

• support interview

Final choice: European solution at $79/month vs US solution at $250/month. Native HubSpot integration. Clear ROI.

How Certyneo Helps You

Certyneo checks all 10 criteria: eIDAS, SES/AES, EU hosting, transparent pricing, native integrations, templates, advanced workflows, modern UX, 10-year archiving, French support. Free plan to test before committing.

Discover the Certyneo electronic signature solution

FAQ

How long does the selection take?

4-8 weeks with proper evaluation.

Do we need to involve IT?

For an SME: an external consultant is enough. For a mid-market company: yes.

Can we switch if we're not satisfied?

Yes, migration is a managed project. Avoid commitments > 12 months.

Is the cheapest option the best?

No. Look at total cost (flat fee + OTP + signatories + integrations).

Is English enough for support?

No if your teams are French-speaking.

Conclusion

Choosing electronic signature software is a structuring project. Invest the necessary evaluation time — it will save you an expensive migration in 2 years.

Try Certyneo to send, sign and track your documents online simply, quickly and securely.